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Workers Demolish Reactor Support Facility as Part of River Corridor Contract

July 3, 2014 - 12:00pm

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The site of the former 183-B Clearwell, an old water treatment facility for the historic B Reactor.

An aerial view of the site of the former 183-B Clearwell.

The site of the former 183-B Clearwell, an old water treatment facility for the historic B Reactor.

Demolition for B Reactor’s Water Filtration Facility, 183B, Now Complete

RICHLAND, Wash. – EM’s Richland Operations Office and cleanup contractor Washington Closure Hanford recently completed the cleanout and demolition of the last reactor support facility as part of the River Corridor Closure Contract.

Washington Closure workers demolished the last structure at Hanford’s 100 Area under its contract. The building was the 183-B Clearwell, an old water treatment facility for the historic B Reactor.

“With this last demolition, we have finished demolition activities in the reactor areas under the River Corridor Closure Contract,” said Doug Shoop, acting manager of the Richland Operations Office. “This work shows the enormous progress made at Hanford’s reactor areas.”

There is still some demolition work left at buildings in the K West Reactor area, but that work is under a different contract.Hanford’s 100 Area is located along the banks of the Columbia River, where nine former plutonium production reactors are found. The nine reactors (B, C, D, DR, F, H, K-East, K-West, and N) were built from 1943 through 1965, and were constructed next to the river because of an abundance of cooling water needed by the reactors during operation.

To date, Washington Closure has cleaned up 301 facilities and 496 waste sites as part of its contract.

The Richland Operations Office is responsible for several major cleanup projects on the Hanford site, including cleanout and demolition of the high-hazard Plutonium Finishing Plant, demolition of excess facilities, excavation of contaminated soil and solid waste, and treatment of contaminated groundwater.